Coupling.



Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

W. s. SUTTON.

GOUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED nso. 11, 1912.

. nerl y end of the handle be at all times free to ro- Be it knowngrasped by the operator,

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. SUTTON, 0F ROCKIFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN RADIATORCOMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

COUPLING.

. Specification of Letters Patent. Application led December 11, 1912.Serial No. 736,110.

Patenteuiuar. 3, 1914.

To 'all whom 'it may concern:

that l, WILLIAM S. SU'rroN, a resident of Rockford, in the county .ofWinnebago and State of Illinois` have invented certain new .and usefulImprovements in Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in couplings and particularly toadjustable couplings for loc ing together two cylindrical membersagainst separation. either rigidly to prevent any relative axialmovement or more or less yieldingly for such relative axial movement. v

Although my improved couplingcan be used in a great many ways, it is partlcularly adaptable for use in connection with suction cleaning devicesto be interposed in the nozzle supporting handle between the toolsuporting section thereof and the hose receivin section. Under certainconditions of a plication of the nozzle to objects to4 e cleaned, it isdesirable that the nozzle be free to follow the surface to be cleaned inorder that its nozzle outlet may be intimately elo-sed over the surfacevto thus prevent leakage and toopera-te in the most efficient man- It istherefore desirable that the tool tate axially with reference to thehose supporting section of the handle which is firmly the nozzle thenautomatically accurately following d seating itself against the surfaceto b cleaned without effort on the part of the operator. As the operatoris not required to continually axially rotate the handle in accordancewith the varying angularitv or curvature of the surface, the cleaningdevice can be operated with greater ease and without tiring theoperator, and in addition more efficient results are obtained. Underother conditions of operation, it would `be ore desirable to have thenozzle rigid.

An important feature of my invention therefore resides in'suchconstruction of the coupling that the slight turning of an adjustingmember in one direction will effect l, rigid locking together of thecoupling memthe nozzle endl of the coupling is free to rotate axially.

As it may also be desirable under certain conditions to entirelydisconnect the coupling members and their su porting structures, anotherfeature of t e invention is therefore to provide for such readydisconnection. Where the coupling is used in connection with suctionsweepers, one member thereof may form a permanent part of the nozzlesection and the coupling arrangement is such that upon slight movementof an adjusting member the couplin members are entirely separable sothat iierent nozzle structures can be interchangeably quickly coupled tothe main handle section.

Another important feature of the invention is to provide ball bearingengagement for the members of the coupling so that friction is reducedto a minimum when the members are free for relative axial rotation.Another feature is to utilize the ball bearing parts for reventinguncoupling of the coupling mem ers when they are adjusted for freerelative axial rotation, and another feature of the invention resides insuch interrelation of the various parts that the coupling members can bereadily uncoupled without danger of parts., particularly the bearingballs becoming disarranged or dropping out.

In eneral the construction is such that the a justing member is in theform of a ring surrounding the iuncture of the coupling members andwhich when turned in one direction will allowt read uncoupling of themembers, and which W en turned a ldistance in the opposite directionwill prevent uncoupling of the members but will allow more or less freerelative axial rotation thereof, and which when turned farther willeffect rigid coupling together of the members so that there can be norelative movement of any kind.

Referrin' to the drawings which clearly illustrate t e construction andoperation of a coupling embodying all the features of the inventionFigure 1 is an elevational view of a coupling, one-half thereof being indiametral vertical section. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on plane.QF-2, Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing the partsadjusted for coupling the members together but for allowing relativerotation thereof, Fig. 1 is a similar sectional view but showing theparts adjusted to loch the coupling members against any relative move-Jment when the coupling is in service, Fig. .5 is an enlargedsectional'view showing ce1' tain stop mechanism for preventing undesiredfollowing mo-vement ofa clamping ring, Fig. 6 is a sectional view takenon plane 6-6 Fig. 5, Fig. 7 is a view similar v to Fig. 1 but showing amodied arrangement, and Fig. 8 is a'sectional view taken on plane 8--8,Fig. 7 I

The male member M of the coupling is in the form of a tubular length 10having a diametrically enlargedbelt 11 near the middle thereof which isprovided near its top shoulder 12 with the annular groove 13 whichflares' outwardly and forms a runway for bearing balls 14. The femalemember F of the coupling is also tubular and of an internal diameter tosnugl receive the end of the coupling member aboveV the shoulder 12, thelower end of the female member abutting against said shoulder when themembers are in coupling position,

and the upper end of the female member being of reduced diameter toprovide the internal shoulder 15 against which theupper end of the malemember abuts when the members are nicouplingposition. The snugengagement of the coupling members at their sides and at their ends withthe shoulders 12 and 15 will effectively seal the coupling againstleakage. For example where l3,5 the coupling member is interposed in thecoupling handle of a suction sweeping device there would be no leakage.The lower end of the female member has a flange 16 whose-lower section16 extends a distance 4o below the end of the female member whichengages the shoulderl 12 and which is of somewhat greater diameter thanthe external diameter ofthe belt section 11 of the male member. Theinner side of this flange section is chamfered'to form with the oppositesurface of they belt 11 a wedging pocket.

The balls 14 are supported in a clamping ring 17 in suitable pocketsprovided therein. These pockets are drill holes of slightly greaterdiameter than the balls to allow free movement therein and the inneredges of these holes are turned over slightly 4as at 18 to preventpassage of the balls entirely through the holes inwardly. The upper 35outer edge of the vclamping ring `is beveled Y to provide a wedgesurface a forengaging with the chamfer surface -b of the flange section16. The lower edge of the clamping ring is also beveled and provides awedging surface c for being engaged by the .chamfer surface cl on theflange 19 at the lower end of theadjusting sleeve 19 which is internallythreaded to engage with external threads on flange 16. This adjustingsleeve is suitably knurled or otherwise roughened on its periphery sothat it may be readily rotated. It is evident that when this sleeve isrotated in one direction it will be drawn toward the flange 16 on thefemale member thus drawing the `wedging surfaces b and d together andagainst the wedging surfaces a and c on the clamping ring, this clampingring being open at a gap 17 so that upon such wedging engagement it willradially contract and bind more or less against the belt 11 of the malemember.

Figs. 1 and 4 show theclamping ring securely clamped against the belt 11to'rigidly lock the coupling members against relative rotation. clamped,the lower section 19" of the adjusting sleeve will be in front of theballs to prevent escape of the balls from the runway 13 so that thecoupling members are also rigidly locked against separation.

Above this section 19 the sleeve is of increased diameter to form theannular pocket l j 20 which will allow outward movement of the ballswhenthe sleeve is turned to move ,away from the female member flange 16.Such condition is illustrated in Fig. 3. The sleeve has been turnedsufficiently to withdraw its wedging surface d from the clamping Iringso the coupling members will no ylonger be locked against` axialrotation. 95

However, the adjusting sleeve has not been turned sufficiently to carrythe section 19` sufficiently away from the balls to allow the balls toentirely leave the run-way 18, the

balls still being confined to project looselyl into the run-way so thatalthough the coupling sections may freely rotate axially they will beprevented from being pulled apart. If now, the adjusting sleeve isrotated still farther, section 19 will be entirely removed 105 from thepath of the'balls and these balls may fall into pocket `20 and entirelyaway from the run-way so that thecoupling members'` may be readilypulled apart. After such separation of the coupling members, 11o theballs cannot fall from their pockets on account of their retaining bur18. In lorder that the clamping ring may be held in proper position whenthe'adjustingv ring is loosened, the upper edge of the yring has aretaining flange l21 for engaging in the annular `recess 22 provided atthe base of the chamffered surface b on flange 16 of the female member.The top of the clamping;

ring is also spaced away a distance from-Hemi the lower edge of thefemale member when the ring is expanded so that its wedge surface a canslide alongI the surface Z when the adjustin sleeve is tightened. Whenthe adjusting s eeve is loosened and the coupling members separated. theclamping ring will be confined on .the female member by its retainingflange and the balls will be confined on the'ring as described so thatwhen the coupling members are againl brought to- 130 When the ring isthus tightly 80 drawn to allow free separation of the coupling members,and further withdrawing movement of the adjusting ring will then beprevented.

It is desirable to prevent rotation of the clamping ring as adjustmentis` inadeso as to have relative rotational movement only between thewedging surfaces c and el, Wearing of the upper end of the clamping rinadjusting sleeve 34 against .the flange 16 being then revente As shownin Figs. 5 and 6, the ange part 16 has the slot 25 into which extends astop pin 26 which is anchored in a hole 27 provided in the upper part ofthe flange 16 above the slot 25. The lower end of the pin projects intothe gap 17 of the clamping ring and between the end of the detent flange21 so that the ring will be locked to-t e flange 16.and will not rotateupon operation of the adjusting sleeve. In order to assist in forcingthe clamping ring against the belt 11-to prevent any relative rotationof lthe coupling members, the ends of this detent flange are taperedaway as best shown in Fig. 6, to' leave the surfaces 28 and 28 which areat right angles tothe diametral plane passing through the center of thecoupling and the stop pin so that if the clamping ring should turn withthe adjustin sleeve, one of the surfaces will engage wit the pin andcause the respective end of the ring to be forced radially inwardlyagainst rthe belt 11 of the male coupling member when the adjustingsleeve is drawn up tight. The clamping ring is thus stopped from furtherrota-tion after a slight movement thereof, and additional pressure isapplied to the ring so that the coupling members can be most rigidlylocked together; i

In Figs. 7 and 8 is shown a modified con struction. The male couplingmember is of substantially 'the same construction as that shown inFig. 1. The flange 16 of the femalev member has substantially mid-way.of its lower edge the abutment rid e 29 which forms an abutment for thespllt clamping ring 30. The clamping or wedgin ring 31 has the lowerwedgin surface 32 or being engaged by the cham ered flange 33 of thewhich threads on flange 16. The inner edge ofthe upper end of theclamping ring is chamfered to form the wedging surface 35 and theextreme upper edge of the ring is deflected inwardly to form a retainingridge 36 for the clamping ring, which, by its expansion force, holdsitself against the wedging surface 35 and the ridge 36. When theclamping ring is normal, it will be outside of the groove 13 in the belt11 of the male member so that the coupling members may be disconnected.However, when the adjusting sleeve 34 is drawn up, the engagement 4ofsurface 32 with the clamping ring will cause radial contraction of theclamping ring and also movement thereof toward the female member. Thesplit ring 30 will be stopped by the abutment ridge 29 so that thesurface 35 will force this rmginto the groove 13 to thus lock thecouplin membersagainst separation. When the a justing ring is drawn uptightly, tionally en age with the belt 11 and the coupling mem ers willalso be locked against relative rotational movement. A retainer nut/23may be provided as in the construction of Fig. 1 to prevent entirewithdrawal of the adjusting ring.

I thus provide a simple coupling which may be eflicien ly used forcouplmg two the clamping ring 31 will fricmembers together and which, bythe mere in one direction or the other of an turnin g may be rigidlylocked against adjustlng ring,

- any relative movement, or vmay be setto allow moreA or less freerelative rotational movement although locked against separation. Asbefore stated, the coupling is particularly adaptable for use inconnection with suction cleaning devices, the male member thenpreferably forming the stem of the nozzle so that di'erent nozzles, eachwith a coupling stem thereon, may be interchangeably connected' with thefemale coupling member. y

As changes and modifications are ossible, I do not desire to be limitedto t e exact construction and operation shown and described, and

I claim the following:

In a coupling, the combination of a female coupling member having aflange at its end provided with a wedgmg surface, a male' couplingmember fitting into said female coupling member, anI adjusting ringhaving threade engagement with said female coupling member` flange andhaving a wedgingl surface opposed to said coupling member l wedgingsurface, a split clamping ring 'interposed between said wedgin surfaceand surrounding said male coup ing member whereby rotation of saidadjusting sleeve to bring said wedging surfacestoward each other willcause radial contraction of said clamping ring and clamping thereby ofsaid male coupling member, and a locking pm extending from the flange ofsaid female coupling member to the gap between the ends of said splitclamping ring to prevent rotation of said ring with reference to thefemale coupling member, the ends of said 13o ring adjacent Sad gap beingtapered to my name this 7th day of December, A. D., formWedgingdsnrfacesfor said locking pin 1912. v to be enga e b sai pin u onrmary slight rotatgon ofysad ring Whrebypthe en- WILMAM S' SUTTON" 5gagcd ring end s forced radially inwardly Witnesses:

against sald malecouplng member. R. H. BROWN,

1n Witness whereof, ll hereunto subscribe LoUsE LAWRENCE.

